Method and means for catching slubs in moving textile strands



Jan. 8, 1963 c. R. MARSHALL 3,071,839

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CATCHING SLUBS IN MOVING TEXTILE STRANDS Filed May 29, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: CHAEUE R. MAR$HALL j 5 mm jwiwzg ATTORNEY 5 Jan. 8, 1963 c.'R. MARSHALL 3,071,839

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CATCHING SLUBS IN MOVING TEXTILE STRANDS Filed May 29, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 56 CHAreuE R. MARSHALL s\ 50 dz mfilwd +Ma 22 ATTORNEYS Jan. 8, 1963 C. R. MARSHALL METHOD AND MEANS FOR CATCHING SLUBS IN MOVING TEXTILE STRANDS Filed May 29, 1959 4 Sheets- Sheet 5 INVENTOR: CHABUE- R. MARSHALL BY5M,MAM

ATTORNEY 5 v Jan. 8, 1963 c. R. MARSHALL 3,071,839

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CATCHING SLUBS IN MOVING TEXTILE STRANDS Filed May 29, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 50. y I i 1 INVENTOR 551 0 l i 4 CHARLIE R. MAQSHALL 3r x/Q 1 ii BY gafitu Mud-4: J M 52 Q 34 q t ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,071,839 METHOD AND MEANS FOR CATCHING SLUBS IN MQVENG TEXTHLE STRANDS Charlie R. Marshall, 515 N. 5th St, Alhernarle, N.C. Filed May 29, 1959, Ser. No. 816,960 21 Claims. (61. 28--6 i) This invention relates to an improved method and means for detecting defects, such as slubs and the like in moving textile strands or threads and parting such threads upon such defects being detected.

Many different types of devices have been made heretofore for detecting defects in threads in the course of their movement from bobbins, or other carriers, to cones, spools, tubes and the like on a winding machine. Such prior devices have included closely spaced plates forming a slot therebetween through which the thread moved, or they have included so-called combs forming slots through which the thread has passed. The width of such slots has been such that defects exceeding a certain diameter would not pass therethrough, the thread thus being stopped and eventually broken if it is stretched further.

Due to the build-up of lint and other foreign matter at the ingress sides of such prior art combs and plates, it has been necessary to provide slots of sufiicient width so that a relatively large percentage of small or tapered slubs would not be detected and interrupted thereby. Even then, the width of such slots was such relative to the thread that considerable amounts of lint would accumulate on the combs or plates defining such slots, to such extent as to cause skinning of the thread or strand being processed. This has resulted in a great many unnecessary breaks in the strands being processed.

The term skinning is well accepted in the art as de fining an excessive accumulation of lint and/or other light foreign matter on a moving thread entering the slot of a slub catcher, and wherein the accumulation is drawn into the slot with the moving strand to such extent as to grip the strand and cause either an undesirable increase in tension in the moving strand or to actually cause the strand to break.

It quite often happens that the thread is placed under increased tension by skinning while a relatively great length of the thread is wound and this frequently requires that the thread be rewound, since the increased tension in the thread caused by skinning, produces an inferior yarn package from which the thread cannot be readily withdrawn during subsequent processing. Actual tests have shown that skinning the thread, when passing the same through slub catchers of the type used heretofore, has caused up to sixty-five percent of the actual thread breakages or separations, the remaining thread breakages being efiected by the actual catching of slubs or enlarged places in the thread being wound.

For many years, the speed of the movement of thread, as it has been wound on conventional winding machines, has been in the proximity of 550 yards per minute. More recently, however, the speed of winding machines has been increased so that the speed of the thread has been increased from 550 yards per minute up to 800 and even 1400 yards per minute. This increase in the speed of the thread through the slub catcher has greatly increased the problem of accumulation of lint and other foreign matter on the surfaces of the plates or combs defining the slots of the slub catcher and, accordingly, this increased speed has also increased the proportion of unnecessary breaks in the strand passing through prior types of slub catchers.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel method and means for detecting slubs and other enlargements in a moving textile strand or thread, which comprises moving the strand through a first restricted zone in the form of an inclined slotted member, deflecting a portion of the thread outwardly of its normal path by causing a slub to ride upwardly or outwardly in en gagement with and then over the top or outer edge of the inclined slotted member, then passing the slub through an open area or free air zone, and then passing the slub through a second restricted zone in the form of a second inclined slotted member while pressing the slub against the second member and thereby arresting the slub to such extent, under the tension of the thread, as to part the thread. Thus, since the thread is bowed out of its normal path of travel, movement of the slub against the first slotted member carries upwardly with it lint or other light material which may have tended to collect on the first slotted member, which lint is then permitted to fall between the proximal portions of the two slotted members prior to or substantially as the slub engages the second slotted member to arrest the slub and part the thread.

It is another object of this invention to provide a slub catching apparatus comprising a first composite slotted member formed of a pair of relatively adjustable plates which are inclined upwardly and forwardly or extend at an angle with respect to the path of travel of the textile strand between two guide eyes, and through which slotted member the strand passes. The inclination of the first slotted member and its height above the normal path of travel of the strand is such that a slub in the strand, detected by the first slotted member, will hide upwardly against the upper or front face of the first slotted member and pass over the upper edge thereof.

A second slotted member, having its lower portion positioned closely adjacent, but in substantially horizontally spaced relation to, the upper end of the first slotted member, is so positioned as to be disposed in the path of travel of the strand with the slub therein once it has been raised or bowed by movement of the slub against the front or upper face of the first slotted member. Accordingly, any dust, lint or other light foreign matter picked up by the slub as it passes in engagement with the first slotted member passes downwardly, by gravity, between the proximal ends of the two slotted members and, thereafter, the slub engages the plates or upper front face of the second slotted member to place-the yarn under sufficient tension to break the same.

It is thus seen that, since the lint and other light foreign matter cannot accumulate, to any material extent, on either sets of the plates, the usual cause of unnecessary breaks in a moving strand is practically eliminated. As a matter of fact, it has been found that the proportion of unnecessary breaks which occur with the present apparatus is as little as five percent; this being considered with the fact that the slots in the plates may be relatively narrower than the slots of prior slub catching devices so that approximately twice as many slubs are detected by the present apparatus as compared to the number of slubs detected by prior devices.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the character last described in which a cutter blade is positioned beneath or rearwardly of the second slotted member so as to engage and sever any thread or strand portions which are abnormally tensioned, by a slub engaging the upper or front face of the second slotted member, between the second slotted member and the succeeding guide eye of the apparatus.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved slub catcher including means for detecting the presence of and deflecting upwardly or outwardly any enlarged places or slubs in a thread, with separate means for entrapping any of such slubs, and with such entrapping means being in such spaced relation to said detecting means as to permit lint and foreign matter to fall from 3 the strand and slub in its course between the detecting and entrapping means.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a slub catcher of the character described in which the detecting means comprises a pair of closely spaced plates defining a slot therebetween through which the moving strand passes and wherein the upper or front face, at least, of the detecting means is disposed at such an angle relative to the normal path of travel of the thread or textile strand as to cause fine lint and other light material on the yarn which has, heretofore, produced so-called skinning of the yarn, to be deflected outwardly in a divergent manner from the yarn and from the portions of the plates forming the deflector to assist in preventing accumulations of lint and the like on the upper front face of the detecting member.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURES l and 2 are fragmentary schematic views showing successive stages in operation of one form of the improved apparatus;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are views similar to respective FIG- URES l and 2 showing a second form of the apparatus equipped with a cutting device or blade for cutting, rather than breaking, the thread when it is momentarily placed under abnormal tension by a slub or enlarged portion thereon engaging the second slotted member;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the first form of improved slub catcher for carrying out the method of the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the slub catcher shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a rear or egress end elevation of the first form of slub catcher looking at the right-hand side of FIGURE 6; 7

FIGURE 8 is a detailed top plan view of the second form of the improved slub catcher of FIGURES 3 and 4 and also showing the same equipped with a thread cutter and a waxing device;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of the slub catcher shown in FIGURE 8 with parts broken away;

FIGURE 10 is an elevation of the egress or rear end of the second form of slub catcher looking at the righthand side of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a front or ingress end elevation of the second form of slub catcher, looking at the lefthand side of FIGURE 8, but showing parts of the thread tension device moved out of operative position, to more clearly I illustrate those parts forwardly of the rod which supports said tension device;

FIGURE- 12 is an enlarged, partially exploded, isometric view looking in the direction of the arrow 12 in FIGURE 9, and showing means for adjusting the position I i;

of the second slotted member or entrapping member relative to the first slotted member or detecting member;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged partially exploded isometric view showing, in particular, the means for relatively adjusting the plates of the slotted detector.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel slub catcher for carrying out the improved method of the present invention is illustrated in two similar forms, the first form being shown in FIGURES l, 2, 5, 6 and 7 and the second form being shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 8-13. Both forms of the invention are substantially the same, the second form being equipped with a thread cutter and a waxing device for applying wax to the moving thread, with corresponding structural elements for accommodating the cutter and waxing device. The first form of the invention is not equipped with a cutter or a waxing device, and will now be described in detail.

Referring now to FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 the first form of slub catcher comprises a bracket or main frame broadly designated at 20, which may be largely of cast metal and which comprises a block-like lateral body 21 provided with a rearwardly projecting upright flange or wall 22 at one side thereof. Upright flange 22 is provided with a standard 23 preferably formed integral therewith. A lateral rear end portion 24 of a threading guide rod 25, which forms a portion of frame 26, is suitably secured to the upper portion of standard 23, as by a set screw 23a (FIGURE 5).

Said lateral portion 24 of guide rod 25 extends outwardly and is then bent to form a downwardly and forwardly extending portion 26 which extends forwardly of body 21 and curves upwardly and laterally to form a front lateral portion 27. Portion 27 is then bent downwardly and in the form of a V-shaped portion 30. The V-shaped portion 30 protrudes downwardly and rearwardly at an angle and has a thread guide plate 31 suitably secured to the lower surface thereof. Thread guide plate 31 is provided with an open-top notch forming an ingress thread eye 32 therein through which a thread, yarn, or other textile strand 33 passes as it enters the slub catcher.

It will be noted that the V-shaped portion 30 of threading guide rod 25 is preferably disposed forwardly of, and in off-set relation to the longitudinal axis of, frame 20 and is also integral with a downwardly and rearwardly projecting portion 34 of thread guiding rod 25. The foremost end of portion 34 is suitably secured to body 21.

As thread 33 moves rearwardly, it passes through the ingress guide eye 32 and then passes through a tension device broadly designated at 36, to be presently described. Thread 33 then moves rearwardly from tension device 36 through an intermediate ingress thread guide 37 which is provided with a slot to facilitate threading, and which guide is preferably made from a ceramic or synthetic material, and is carried by a support 40. Support 40 is in the form of a plate projecting upwardly from and being suitably secured to the front face of body 21. Thread 33 then normally passes upwardly and rearwardly, preferably at a slight angle relative to the normal attitude of body 21, and through an egress guide eye 41 which is provided with a slot 42 therein to facilitate positioning thread 33 therein.

Guide eye 41 is also preferably made from a ceramic or plastic material and is carried by a support member or plate 43 whose upper portion is suitably secured to said lateral portion 24 of threading guide rod 25. It will be noted that the end of support plate 43 at the lefthand side of the frame 20 (FIGURE 7) is rounded at its lower portion, as at 44, to facilitate passing the thread 33 into the egress thread eye 41 when the thread is inserted between portions 26 and 34 of threading guide rod 25 in threading up the apparatus. Plate 40 is also preferably substantially the same shape as plate 43.

As the strand or thread 33 moves from intermediate guide eye 37 to egress guide eye 41, it normally passes through a first composite slotted member broadly designated at 45 defining a first restricted zone or passageway A. The thread 33 then normally passes beneath or to one side of a second composite slotted member, broadly designated at 46, defining a second restricted zone or passageway B. The first slotted member 45 may be termed as a defect detecting and/or deflecting element, and the second composite slotted member 46 may be termed as a slub catching or defect entrapping element. These composite slotted elements 45, 46 are peculiar to the present invention and will later be described in detail.

The tension device 36 may be of any desired construction and is shown, in this instance, in the form of conventional upper and lower bell washers 5t 51 between which the thread 33 moves. Lower bell Washer 51 rests upon a collar 52 suitably secured to an upstanding tension supporting rod 53 having a substantially horizontal lower portion suitably secured to the front face of body 21. Rod 53 projects upwardly and preferably curves outwardly and then downwardly to provide a stem '54 on which extra weight members, such as weight members 55, may

be positioned, it being well known that the weight memlarged portion or stop 56 which is shown in the form of a pair of lock nuts in FIGURE 7.

The body 21 is provided with a projection or boss portion 6t? having an inclined upper surface, and which projects rearwardly therefrom, but terminates in substantially spaced relation to, the rear end of the flange portion 22 of body 21. The upper portion of the projection 69 of body 21 is inclined, upwardly and rearwardly, at an angle of from 35 degrees to 45 degrees, relative to the horizontal plane of the frame 20 and toward the direction of movement of the thread 33 for supporting the first composite slotted member 45, at the same angle. An angle of 40 degrees has been found most efficient for the upper surfaces of plates 61, 62 forming said first composite member 45. The thread 33 normally passes through a slot A formed by the pair of closely spaced, opposed, deflector plates 61, 62. The proximal portions of plates 61, 62 overlie a slot 63 formed in the upper portion of projection 60 of body 21. Deflector plates 61, 62 are suitably secured in respective recesses 64, 65 formed in the inclined upper portion of projection 60 of body 21, as by the respective screws 66, 67. The deflector plates 61, 62 may be mounted in the same manner as the deflector plates 61', 62' of the second form of the invention (FIGURE 13), as will be later described.

The second composite slotted member or entrapping element 46 also comprises a pair of opposed relatively thin upwardly and rearwardly inclined plates 70, 71 which are spaced apart from each other at, at least, the lower portions thereof. In this instance, the proximal edges of the plates 70, 71 extend upwardly and rearwardly in converging relation-ship, the distance between their lower front portions being sufiicient to form a slot B through which the thread 33 may freely pass.

However, it will be noted in FIGURES 1 and 6 that the lower front edges of entrapping plates 70, 71 are disposed above the plane of the normal path of travel of thread 33 between guide eyes 37, 41. The front, upper surfaces of entrappingplates 70, 71 are also inclined upwardly and rearwardly, preferably at a more shallow angle than the front upper faces of the deflector plates 61, 62. It has been found desirable to position the front ,upper faces of entrapping plates 70, 71 at an angle substantially ten degrees less than the angle of the front upper faces of deflector plates 61, 62. In other words, the front upper surfaces of entrapping plates 70, 71 are disposed at an angle of from to degrees relative to the normal horizontal plane of body 21 and frame 20.

It should also be noted that the lower end portions of entrapping plates 70, 71 of the second composite slotted member 46 are spaced rearwardly from the upper portions of the deflector plates 61, 62 of the first composite slotted member 45, to permit lint and other light material to pass downwardly, by gravity, between the proximal portions of the first and second composite slotted members 45, 46, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Although the angular atitudes of the upper front surfaces of the first and second composite slotted members 45 and 46 have been given with respect to the normal horizontal plane of frame 20, these angular attitudes are desirable only because they facilitate the gravitational movement of lint and other light material off of the upper surfaces of deflector plates 61, 62 and entrapping plates 70, 71. More important, however, is the angular attitude of the deflector and entrapping plates with respect to the normal path of travel of the thread 33. In essence, the plates 61, 62, 70, 71 are disposed at acute angles to,

6 and in the direction of, the normal path of travel of the thread 33 between guide eyes 37, 41.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, in the absence of a defect in the thread 33, such as a slub or enlarged portion therein, the thread 33 moves rearwardly and upwardly at a slight angle of approximately 10 degrees, relative to the horizontal plane of frame 20, as it passes from guide eye 37 to guide eye 41. It follows, therefore, that, although the upper surfaces of deflector plates 61, 62 are disposed at an angle of 35 to degrees relative to the horizontal plane of frame 29, as set forth heretofore, since the thread 33 moves at an angle of 10 degrees relative to the horizontal plane of frame 20, the deflector plates 61, 62 of detector 45 are, thus, disposed at an angle of from 25 to 35 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, relative to the normal path of travel of thread 33 through slot A. Also, plates 70, 71 of entrapping element or second composite member 46 are, thus, disposed at an angle of 15 to 25 degrees relative to the normal path of travel of thread 33 or, preferably, at an angle of 20 degrees.

The entrapping plates 71 are secured for relative adjustment on an angularly disposed slotted or bifurcated portion 74 of a substantially Z-shaped trap supporting bracket 75 by means of respective pairs of screws 76, 77. The entrapping plates 76, 71 may be relatively adjustable on the angular portion 74 of bracket 75 in the same manner as that which will be later described with respect to the entrapping plates 70, 71' of the second form of the invention (FIGURE 13).

The Z-shaped bracket 75 also includes a substantially horizontal lower portion 81. The substantially horizontal lower portion 81 of bracket 75 is loosely positioned in a slot 82 provided in the lower portion of projection 61) of body 21, the bracket 75 being locked in the desired adjusted position by means of a set screw 83 threaded through the lower portion of projection 60 and bearing against the lower surface of portion 81 of bracket 75. In order to adjust the displacement between upper portions of deflector plates 61, 62 and the lower portions of entrapping plates 70, 71, a shouldered adjustment screw 84 is provided which loosely penetrates the vertical portion 841 of bracket 75 and is threaded into the rear wall of projection 60 of body 21.

Screw 84 has an enlarged annular portion or abutment 85 suitably secured thereto and engaging the front surface of portion of bracket 75 so that outward adjustment of screw 84 will cause annular portion to move braket 75 rearwardly, assuming that set screw 83 is then loosened. (See portion 85 of second form of the invention in FIGURE 13.) Inward adjustment of screw 84, with set screw 83 loosened, will move bracket 75 forwardly. It follows that set screw 83 is tightened after screw 84 is adjusted in either direction to lock bracket 75 in the desired adjusted position.

The displacement between the first and second composite slotted members 4-5, 46' may vary, according to the character and size of thread being processed, from onesixteenth of an inch to one-fourth inch, more or less. Also, the width of slots A, B between plates 61, 62 and 70, 71 respectively, may vary depending upon the size of the thread to be processed. By way of example, in winding or processing from 24 count to 40 count cotton yarn, the slot A between deflector plates 61, 62 is normally approximately .008 of an inch and the width of slot B between the lower edges of portions of entrapping plates 70, 71 may be approximately .009 of an inch when the proximal edges of plates 70, 71 extend in converging relation, as shown in FIGURE 5.

In practice, it has been found favorable to provide slot A and the lower portion of slot B of such Width that the thread of normal diameter will pass through the respective slots and will be snugly engaged by the respective sets of plates 61, 62 and 70, 71 without placing the thread 33 under excess tension as it is drawn through the slub catcher. The angularity of the deflecting plates 61, 62 of the combination detector and deflector 45 causes many of the extremely fine fibers, which are wiped from the thread 33 by the proximal edges of plates 61, 62, to strike the front faces of plates 61, 62 and fly upwardly and outwardly and, thus, away from the slot A. This condition is further induced by the movement of the yarn itself since the moving thread produces a light movement of air with consequent turbulence at the front faces of deflector plates 61. 62.

Since the accumulation of lint on the front faces of the plates or combs defining slots, through which threads passed in prior slub catchers, was the most prevalent factor contributing to skinning of the yarn, it follows that the angular relationship between the thread 33 and the front upper faces of plates 61, 62 of the first composite slotted member is, in itself, largely responsible for the fact that the number of unnecessary breaks in the moving strand is substantially reduced in the present method.

Now, it will be noted that the upper edges of deflector plates 61, 62 terminate a relatively short distance outwardly of or above the normal path of travel of thread 33 through slot A (FIGURES 1 and 5). Also, the lower end portions of entrapping plates 70, 71 are disposed within the plane of an imaginary line extending from the upper edges of deflector plates 61, 62 and the forward end of egress guide eye 41. This further insures that a minimum amount of lint or other light material may collect upon the deflector plates 61, 62 adjacent slot A, for the reason that, when a slub or enlarged portion, such as is indicated at S in FIGURES 1 and 2, occurs in the moving thread 33, the proximity of the deflector plates 61, 62 is such that slub S will engage the front faces of plates 61, 62. Since the slub S cannot pass through slot A, this bows upwardly a corresponding portion of thread 33 as slub S rides upwardly in engagement with and over the top of deflector plates 61, 62. Slub S carries with it any lint which may have tended to adhere to the front surfaces of deflector plates 61, 62 adjacent slot A.

Thus, as slub S is deflected above and slightly beyond the restricted passageway A defined by the uppermost front edges of plates 61, 62, the slub moves into an open area, air space or zone so that most of the lint, if not all the lint carried upward by the slub S falls in this air space between the proximal portions of the first and second composite slotted members 45, 46. Thereupon, the deflected thread portion enters the second restricted passageway B so slub S engages the front faces of the lower portions of entrapping plates 7 0, 71. The more tension placed on the yarn or thread 33 by the means pulling the same, the further upwardly will be the tendency for the slub S to move against the upper front faces of entrapping plates 70, 71. However, before slub S will have caused the portion of thread 33 extending between entrapping member 46 and egress guide eye 41 to extend perpendicular to the entrapping plates 70, 71, slub S will have been entrapped or arrested and will thus have applied suificient tension to the thread 33 to break the same substantially as shown in FIGURE 2.

All of this happens very quickly so there is not any material length of strand wound about a yarn package on the corresponding winding machine. Accordingly, since the skinning of the thread 33 is practically eliminated, there are no exceptionally tight convolutions of thread on the yarn package being wound so that rewinding of yarn packages is also practically eliminated from this cause, which was a common fault of prior devices.

Actual experiments have shown that the number of unnecessary breaks in the thread due to skinning has been reduced to approximately 5%. In other words, of the actual breaks of the thread with movement thereof through the improved slub catcher, approximately 95% of them have resulted from the actual detection and catching of slubs or enlarged portions in the thread.

It is apparent that the more slubs or enlarged portions removed from the thread being processed or wound, the higher the quality of the yarn or thread. The capacity of prior devices for removing a great many slubs from yarn or thread has been severely limited due to the fact that, if the slots through which the yarn passed in the slub catcher were made sufficiently small to remove a substantial number of slubs which would normally pass through the slots, the skinning of the thread was considerably increased. Consequently, the additional number of knots increases the labor necessary to produce a certain poundage of yarn and also reduces the rate of production which would not actually result in a higher quality of yarn.

it is apparent from the foregoing description, that the plates 61, 62 of the present invention may be adjusted relatively closer together to form the slot A of much lesser width than could be practiced on prior types of slub catchers, so that a proportionally larger number of slubs could be removed from a given length of thread, and the number of unnecessary breaks and consequent knots would still be substantially less than is the case with the prior types of slub catching devices, this being due to the fact that the cause of the unnecessary breaks is practically eliminated with the present apparatus.

It should be noted that the maximum width of the gap or air space between the first and second composite slotted members is limited by the speed of the thread passing through the gap, the vertical distance from the upper edges of deflector plates 61, 62 to the lower edges of entrapping plates 70, 71, and the angle at which the thread 33 extends, with a slub therein, from the top edges of plates 61, 62 to egress guide eye 41. It is preferable that the lower edges of plates 76, 71 be disposed slightly below the level of the upper edges of plates 61, 62. However, it is only necessary that the deflector plates 61, 62 and entrapping plates 70, 71 be relatively positioned so portions of entrapping plates 70, 71 are within the plane of an imaginary line extending from the outer edges of plates 61, 62 to the egress guide eye 41. Accordingly, the lower edges of plates 7% 71 may be located above or a substantial distance below the level of the upper edges of plates 61, 62, provided that these sets of plates are provided with said gap therebetween. However, it is desirable that plates 79, 71 terminate above the level of the normal path of travel of thread 33 to avoid skinning of the thread by plates 70, 71.

Best results are obtained by the arrangement of plates 61, 62, 7t 71 and guide eyes 37, 41 in the manner described. However, it is within the scope of the invention to arrange said plates 61, 62, 78, 71 in horizontal or other relation to the normal path of the thread; that is, entrapping plates 70, 71 may be disposed to one side of, rather than above, the normal path of travel of the thread, as long as the deflector plates 61, 62 and guides 37, 41 still occupy the same positions relative to plates 79, 71. Changing the plates 61, 62, 70, 71 to the latter postions may, however, reduce the efliciency of deflector lates 61, 62 in casting off lint deposited thereagainst by the thread moving in its normal path.

Second Embodiment of the Invention As heretofore stated, the second form of the invention is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and 13 and differs from the first form of the invention in the fact that it is equipped with the Waxing device and a cutting means for the prime notation added, in order to avoid repetitive description.

It will be observed in FIGURES 8 and 9 that side wall or flange 22 is substantially longer than flange 22 in FIGURE 6 so as to accommodate a waxing device or attachment broadly designated at 89 between the slub entrapping device or second composite slotted member 46 and the rear lateral portion 24 of the threading guide rod 25. Also, the rear end of the upwardly and rearwardly inclined portion 74 of bracket 75' has a downwardly projecting substantially vertical plate portion or wall portion 86 integral therewith in which the guide eye 41' is positioned, guide eye 41 being so positioned in order to correspond to and serve the same purpose as guide eye 41 of the first form of the invention.

Accordingly, a guide-eye support plate 87 is suitably secured to and depends from the rear lateral portion 24 of threading guide rod 25' and has an auxiliary egress guide eye 90 mounted therein. The support 87 is of sub stantially the same shape as support '43 of FIGURE 7, but guide-eye 90 is horizontally elongated so as to permit oscillation of the strand or thread 33, under the influence of the usual traversing mechanism of a winding machine, as thread 33 passes between guide eye 41' and guide eye 90. Oscillation of thread 33 between guide eyes 41', 90 is desirable to insure that wax is collected on the thread 33 from a circular wax cake or disk 91 of the waxing device 89.

Wax cake 91 normally rests upon a disk or bell-shaped member 92. Disk 92, in turn, rests upon a flange 93 integral with a hollow core or stob 95 on which the wax cake 91 is loosely mounted. Hollow core 95 is loosely mounted on the upper end of a post 96, which post also loosely penetrates flange 93 and has a suitable support collar 97 fixed thereon for supporting flange 93. The lower end of post 96 is fixed in an arm 100 as by a screw 101. Arm 100 is suitably secured to or formed integral with side wall or flange 2250f frame 20.

In the second form of the invention, it will be observed in FIGURE 8 that the entrapping plates 70, 71' of the second slotted composite member 46' extend in parallel relationship where they form the slot B. This is a matter of choice, since plate 71' may be adjusted to either extend at an angle to plate 70 or to extend parallel to plate 70'. To explain further, reference is made to FIGURE 13 wherein it will be observed that screws 76 loosely extend through respective circular holes 105 in entrapping plate 70. The screws 76' are threaded into angular portion 7 1 of bracket 75.

On the other hand, the other entrapping plate 71' is provided with laterally elongated slots 106 for loosely receiving the respective screws 77', the later screws 77 also being threaded into inclined portion 74' of bracket 75". Thus, with entrapping plate 70' tightly secured on the bifurcated portion 74' of trap support 75', screws 77 may be loosened and a thickness gauge placed between the proximal edges or surfaces of entrapping plates 70, 71. Thereupon, plate 71 is moved against said thickness gauge and screws 77' are then tightened.

In order to sever or out thread 33 when an enlarged portion or slub S (FIGURES 3 and 4) impinges against the front upper faces of entrapping plates 70', 71', a fixed cutting blade may be provided at any point between plates 79, 71' and egress guide eye 41, just so long as it may then be engaged by the thread 33' extending from the entrapping element 46' to guide eye 41'. In this instance, it will be observed in FIGURE 13 that bifurcated portion 74 of trap support 75 is recessed atllt) to accommodate a cutting blade 111 which extends across slot 112 formed in the bifurcated portion 74'. Recess 110 may or may not be provided, depending upon the thickness of blade 111.

Blade 111 is shown as being of sufficient length to be penetrated by respective uppermost screws 76', 77' in order to secure blade 111 in the recess 110. However,

it is apparent that blade 111 may be short enough so as to not be engaged by screws 76', 77, in which instance, entrapping plates 70, 71 will clamp blade 111 against the upper surface of bifurcated portion 74, or in the recess 110, as the case may be.

In order to assist in accurately determining the width of slots A, A when a thickness gauge is used by a person adjusting one of the corresponding deflector plates, the sets of deflector plates 61, 62 and 61', 62' in both forms of the invention are preferably mounted in the manner in which the deflector plates 61', 62 of the second form of the invention are shown in FIGURE 13.

In FIGURE 13, it will be noted that the righthand deflector plate 61 has a circular hole 113' therethrough through which screw 66 loosely extends to tightly secure deflector plate 61' in fixed position in recess 64. However, in order to adjust deflector plate 62 relative to deflector plate 61', deflector plate 62' is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 114- which is loosely penetrated by screw 67'. The outer end of the deflector plate 62, opposite from slot A is engaged by a relatively light spring 115, shown in the form of a torsion spring, and which bears against the wall of the recess 65' remote from deflector plate 61'. A shield plate 117 is also provided with a circular hole 116 therethrough and is adapted to fit in recess 65, upon the deflector plate 62 and over spring 115, so as to prevent dirt and other light foreign matter from accumulating in that portion of recess 65' in which spring is located.

It is thus seen that there is eliminated the uncertainty of manual pressure being applied to a thickness gauge by moving deflector plate 62' toward deflector plate 61', when a thickness gauge is positioned therebetween, since spring 115 applies, at all times when screw 67' may be loose, such pressure as may be required in order to position the edge of deflector plate 62; against a thickness gauge resting against the corresponding edge of deflector plate 61'.

When deflector plate 62 has beeen adjusted against a thickness gauge, screw 67 is then tightened in projection 6t} and secures shield plate 117 against deflector plate 62' and, thus, clamps deflector plate 62' in the adjusted position against the bottom of recess 65'. Thereafter, the thickness gauge may be removed and the slub catcher is then ready for operation.

A detailed description of the structure shown in FIG- URE 12 is deemed unnecessary, since the elements shown in FIGURE 12 have already been described with reference to FIGURES 8 and 9. It will be noted, however, that those parts of the second form of the invention shown in FIGURE 12 more clearly illustrate corresponding parts heretofore described with respect to the first form of the invention, but whose reference characters bear the prime notation in FIGURE 12.

The second form of the invention operates, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, to detect, deflect and entrap enlarged portions or slubs S in the moving thread 33', in the same manner as that described with respect to enlarged places or slubs S in the thread 33 shown in association with the first form of the invention in FIGURES 1 and 2. The only diiference in the second form of the invention as compared with the first form of the invention is that the entrapment of slub S by entrapping plates 70, 71 of the second slotted composite member 46, causes the portion of the strandbetween the slub and the egress guide eye 41' to engage and be severed by the cutting blade 111. Of course, the second form of the invention also includes the waxing device 89 in which cake or disk 91 applies wax to the moving thread 33' as the thread is oscillated, by the usual traversing attachment of a winding machine, to move to and fro between the wax disk or cake 91 and the plate 92.

It is thus seen that I have provided a novel structure and method for detecting slubs or enlarged places in a moving thread or textile strand and wherein detection of the slub removes lint and the like which may have collected on the detecting or deflecting means and Whereupon such lint and the like falls between the deflecting means and the entrapping means; Thereafter, the entrapping means entraps the slub to place the strand under sufficient tension to break the same or to cause severance of the strand at a point closely adjacent to and subsequent to the entrapping means. As heretofore stated, this greatly reduces the number of unnecessary breaks in the yarn and consequently reduces the number of unneccessary stops of the particular winding head of the machine. Also, a substantially greater number of slubs may be removed from a given length of thread than has heretofore been possible with other types of slub catching methods and structures, due to the fact that the slots through which the strands pass may be substantially narrower than has herefore been possible, because of the fact that the reason for limiting the extent as to how closely adjacent plates defining said slots could be positioned has been virtually eliminated by the present method and apparatus.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

4 1. A method of controlling textile thread and catching slubs and other enlarged places in the thread which comprises pulling the thread in a normal path through a first restricted zone, deflecting a portion of the thread outwardly and away from the first restricted zone at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread upon currence of a slub therein, then drawing the deflected portion through an open air space and through a second restricted zone at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread, and then arresting said slub at said second zone to part the thread.

2. A method of catching slubs and other enlarged defects in a textile thread which comprises pulling the thread in a normal straight path through a first restricted zone, deflecting outwardly a portion of the thread, away from said zone at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread, upon occurrence of a slub therein, then successively drawing the deflected portion through an open zone and through an entrapping zone at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread, arresting said slub at the entrapping zone, and cutting the thread.

3. In a slub catcher having spaced ingress and egress thread guiding means for guiding thread in a given path and direction; the combination of successive first and second slotted members each extending at an acute angle relative to the given path and direction of movement of the strand, the first member being in said path, the second member being spaced to one side of said path but within the plane of an imaginary line between the outermost end of the first member and the egress thread guiding means, and proximal portions of said members being spaced apart.

4. in a slub catcher having spaced ingress and egress guide means for guiding a moving textile thread in a normal path and direction, first and second members disposed between said guide means and being serially spaced relative to the direction of movement of the thread and having outwardly facing surfaces thereon defining respective first and second slots therethrough, said slots being of substantially the same size as the width of the thread, said surfaces each extending at an acute angle with respect to said normal path and direction, the outermost edge of at least that portion of the outwardly facing surface defining said first slot being so disposed that occurrence of a slub in the thread deflects the thread outwardly so the slub moves against and past said outermost edge, and said outwardly facing surface of the second member being disposed in the plane of the deflected thread so the thread 12 extends through the second slot and'the slub is entrapped by the second member to part the thread.

5. A structure according to claim 4 in which said outwardly facing surface of the first member extends at an angle of twenty-five to thirty-five degrees relative to said path and direction.

6. A structure according to claim 4 wherein the innermost edge or" the outwardly facing surface of the second member is spaced outwardly of the normal path of travel of the thread.

7. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said outwardly facing surface of the second member is disposed at an angle which is approximately ten degrees less than the angle at which the outwardly facing surface of the first member is disposed relative to' the path and direction of the thread.

8. A slub catcher for a moving thread comprising a pair of fixed guides for guiding said thread in a given path therebetween, a first and a second slotted member each extending at an acute angle relative to and in the direction of said given path, said first slotted member extending' outwardly with respect to said given path so the occurrence of a slub in the thread causes the slub to ride against the outer surface of the first slotted member relative to said given path and also causes the slub to ride over the outermost end of said first slotted member, said second slotted member being spaced from said outermost end of the first slotted member with respect to the direction of movement of said thread and having its inner end positioned out of the normal path of said thread but within the path of said thread when deflected outwardly by the first slotted member, and the slot in the second slotted member being of such width as to arrest and entrap said slub whereby the thread thus tensioned is parted.

9. A structure according to claim 8 including means for cutting said thread upon entrapment of a slub by said second slotted member.

10. A slub catcher for a moving thread comprising a frame, a pair of spaced thread guide means mounted on said frame for passage of thread therebetween, a first member having an elongated slit therein, said member being mounted on said frame between said guide means and having its outer surface positioned at an acute angle with respect to the direction of travel of the thread, the slot being of substantially uniform width such that thread of a given diameter will pass therethrough and a slub on the thread will engage the outer surface of said first member to deflect outwardly the thread and cause the slub to pass outwardly of the outermost edge of the first member, a second slotted member spaced subsequent to the first slotted member and also extending at an acute angle with respect to the path of travel of the thread, the second slotted member extending outwardly to such extent that the thread cannot pass beyond the same whereby the second slotted member arrests movement of the slub and places the strand under abnormal tension to break the same.

11. A slub catcher for thread comprising a frame, first and second spaced thread guide means mounted on said frame for movement of thread therebetween, a first member having a front upper surface thereon and a slot therein extending at an acute angle with respect to the direction of travel of the thread and through the lower portion of which said thread passes in its normal path of travel between said first and second guide means, a second slotted member having an upper face extending at an acute angle with respect to the direction of travel of the thread, the lower edge of the second member being spaced above the normal path of travel of the thread and being within the path of tra 'el of the thread when the thread is deflected upwardly by engagement of a slub with the front surface of the first member whereby the slub passes over the upperrnost edge of the first member and, as the thread is thus moved into the slot of the second slotted member, the

13 slub moves into engagement with the second slotted member and is thereby arrested to part the thread.

12. A structure according to claim 11 in which the front surface of said first member is disposed at an angle of from 25 to 35 degrees with respect to the direction and normal path of travel of the thread.

13. A structure according to claim 11 in which the upper face of the second slotted member is disposed at an acute angle of from 15 to 25 degrees with respect to the direction and normal path of travel of the thread.

14. A structure according to claim 11 in which the first slotted member is disposed at an angle of approximately 30 degrees with respect to the path of travel of and direction of movement of the thread, and the upper face of said second slotted member is disposed at an angle of approximately degrees less than the angle of the front upper surface of the first member.

15. A structure according to claim 11 including cutting means positioned between said second slotted member and the succeeding second guide means and wherein the cutting means is engageable by the thread after said thread has been deflected outwardly by the first member.

16. A structure according ot claim 15 in which said cutting means is in the form of a relatively thin blade' having its cutting edge facing toward the lower end of said second slotted member.

17. A method of detecting slubs and other enlargements in a moving textile thread and parting the thread upon detection of such defects, said method comprising guiding said thread in a normal straight path of travel through a slotted member, interrupting and deflecting a portion of the thread out of said normal path of travel at an angle acute thereto and entirely out of the slotted member upon occurrence of a slub therein, then moving the portion of thread so deflected through an independent entrapping zone at an acute angle to the normal path of travel while said portion of thread remains deflected, and then parting the thread.

18. A method of detecting slubs and other enlargements in a moving textile thread and parting the thread upon detection of such defects, said method comprising guiding said thread in a normal straight path of travel through a slotted member, interrupting and deflecting a portion of the thread out of said normal path of travel at an acute angle and entirely out of the slotted member upon occurrence of a slub therein at said slotted member, then moving the slub of the deflected thread along an inclined detection of such defects, said method comprising guiding the thread in a normal path of travel through a first slotted member and then adjacent a second slotted member spaced to one side of the normal path of travel of the thread, interrupting and deflecting a portion of the thread out of its normal path of travel at an angle acute thereto and entirely out of the first slotted member upon occurrence of a slub therein, then moving the portion of the thread so deflected into the second slotted member at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread while causing the slub to slide along an inclined path defined by the second slotted member, and then parting the thread. 20. A method of detecting slubs and other enlargements in a moving textile thread comprising pulling the thread in a normal path of travel through a first slit and then adjacent to a second slit spaced to one side of the normal path of travel of the thread, sensing the presence of a slub in the thread and then deflecting the thread out of its normal path of travel at an angle acute thereto and out of the first slit while causing the slu-b to wipe adjacent surfaces defining the first slit, moving the deflected thread and slub through an open air space and into the confines of the second slit at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread and then guiding the deflected slub along an inclined path adjacent the second slit while restraining the slub from passage through the second slit, and then parting the thread.

21. A method of detecting slubs and other enlargements in a moving textile thread comprising pulling the thread in a normal path of travel through a first slit and adjacent to a second slit spaced to one side of the normal path of travel of the thread, sensing the presence of a slub in the thread and then deflecting the thread out of its normal path of travel at an angle acute thereto while causing the slub to wipe the surfaces defining the first slit, moving the deflected thread into the confines of the second slit while moving the slub and adjacent portions of the deflected thread out of the first slit, then moving the slub through an open air space and into the second slit at an angle acute to the normal path of travel of the thread and then re straining the slub from passage through the second slit, while guiding the slub along an inclined path relative to the normal path of travel of the thread, and then parting the thread.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,434,091 Arrington Jan. 6, 1948 2,522,751 Doll Sept. 19, 1950 2,563,814 Brink Aug. 14, -1 2,700,204- Doll J an. 25, 1955 2,746,120 Moos May 22, 1956 2,929, 129 Abbott Mar. 22, 1960 

11. A SLUB CATCHER FOR THREAD COMPRISING A FRAME, FIRST AND SECOND SPACED THREAD GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT OF THREAD THEREBETWEEN, A FIRST MEMBER HAVING A FRONT UPPER SURFACE THEREON AND A SLOT THEREIN EXTENDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF WHICH SAID THREAD PASSES IN ITS NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GUIDE MEANS, A SECOND SLOTTED MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER FACE EXTENDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SECOND MEMBER BEING SPACED ABOVE THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND BEING WITHIN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD WHEN THE THREAD IS DEFLECTED UPWARDLY BY ENGAGEMENT OF A SLUB WITH THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE FIRST MEMBER WHEREBY THE SLUB PASSES OVER THE UPPERMOST EDGE OF THE FIRST MEMBER AND, AS THE THREAD IS THUS MOVED INTO THE SLOT OF THE SECOND SLOTTED MEMBER, THE SLUB MOVES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SECOND SLOTTED MEMBER AND IS THEREBY ARRESTED TO PART THE THREAD.
 21. A METHOD OF DETECTING SLUBS AND OTHER ENLARGEMENTS IN A MOVING TEXTILE THREAD COMPRISING PULLING THE THREAD IN A NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL THROUGH A FIRST SLIT AND ADJACENT TO A SECOND SLIT SPACED TO ONE SIDE OF THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, SENSING THE PRESENCE OF A SLUB IN THE THREAD AND THEN DEFLECTING THE THREAD OUT BOF ITS NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL AT AN ANGLE ACUTE THERETO WHILE CAUSING THE SLUB TO WIPE THE SURFACES DEFINING THE FIRST SLIT, MOVING THE DEFLECTED THREAD INTO THE CONFINES OF THE SECOND SLIT WHILE MOVING THE SLUB AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE DEFLECTED THREAD OUT OF THE FIRST SLIT, THEN MOVING THE SLUB THROUGH AN OPEN AIR SPACE AND INTO THE SECOND SLIT AT AN ANGLE ACUTE TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND THEN RESTRAINING THE SLUB FROM PASSAGE THROUGH THE SECOND SLIT, WHILE GUIDING THE SLUB ALONG AN INCLINED PATH RELATIVE TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, AND THEN PARTING THE THREAD. 